Sechelt backyard fire and burning rules
Can I have a backyard fire or burn yard waste in Sechelt?
Short answer
In Sechelt, campfires are allowed if they burn only clean, dry wood, are no more than 1 m wide and 1 m high, and are in a fire pit or approved incinerator tended by someone 18 or older. Burning yard waste, garbage and construction waste is prohibited. No campfire permit is mentioned.
Key facts
| Backyard campfires | Campfires are allowed if they burn clean, dry wood only, do not exceed 1 m wide or 1 m high, and are in a fire pit or approved incinerator clear of overhanging foliage, with access to a water hose and tended by someone 18 or older. They must not create a smoke or spark nuisance for neighbours.Open Air Burning Bylaw No. 486, 2012 (consolidated April 2026), s. 2 Campfire; s. 3(5) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingCampfire means a fire that burns clean, dry wood only and which does not exceed one metre in diameter and one metre in height, contained within a fire pit or approved incinerator. creates a smoke or spark nuisance to neighbouring properties Campfires shall be contained in a fire pit or approved incinerator, clear of overhanging foliage, have access to a water hose and be tended by someone 18 years of age or older. |
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| Burning yard waste | No. Burning garden refuse (grass, leaves, pruning), garbage, construction waste, demolition waste and toxic materials is prohibited. The land-clearing burn allowance ended January 1, 2014. Open air burning may not be started within 10 m of a building, fence, hedge, stream or power line, within 30 m of a public road, or within 500 m of a school in session or hospital.Open Air Burning Bylaw No. 486, 2012 (consolidated April 2026), s. 3(1)-(3) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingNo person shall start, permit an Outdoor Fire or maintain Open Air Burning Garden Refuse On January 1, 2014 Section 2 of this bylaw shall no longer apply. within 10 metres of any Building, structure, fence or hedge; within 30 metres of any public roadway and/or District of Sechelt Airport; exceeding 1.5 metres in height and 2 meters in diameter; within 500 metres of schools in session, hospitals and facilities used |
| Permit | Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read. |
| Fire bans | The Sechelt bylaw does not describe fire bans. BC Wildfire Service open fire orders usually do not apply inside municipal boundaries; municipalities typically set their own prohibitions, so check with the District too. The bylaw bars campfires that contravene federal, provincial or Fire Department rules.Open Air Burning Bylaw No. 486, 2012 (consolidated April 2026), ss. 3(5)(a), 4(a); Fire bans and restrictions, Province of British Columbia, Within municipal boundaries · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingcontravenes any Federal, Provincial or Fire Department regulations may require any person to extinguish open air burning which has been set out, started or kindled in breach Municipalities typically implement their own open fire prohibitions that may follow or vary from BCWS prohibitions. Typically, BCWS open fire prohibition and equipment/activity prohibition orders will specify that they do not apply within municipal boundaries, with certain exceptions. |
| Instead of burning | Yard waste goes out weekly in paper yard waste bags (up to three bags a week). Extra bags can be taken to Salish Soils, 5646 Schetxwen Rd, where yard waste can be dumped at no cost.Garbage and Recycling, Garbage and Recycling page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingAll Yard Waste must be contained in paper yard waste collection bag or neatly bundled with compostable string. Residents can put out a limit of three paper yard waste bags each week. take them to Salish Soils where you can dump yard waste at no cost. |
| Fine | Bylaw notice: burning prohibited material $300 first offence, $400 second, $500 third and later; open fire contrary to the bylaw $300 / $400 / $500; burning within required setbacks $200; land clearing burning $400; open fire without permit $200. On conviction the bylaw allows up to $10,000 or six months, or both.Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026), Schedule A, Open Air Burning Bylaw; Open Air Burning Bylaw No. 486, 2012 (consolidated April 2026), s. 5 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wording486, 2012 Section 3 Land Clearing Burning $400 No Burning within required setbacks $200 No 1st offence $300 2nd offence $400 3rd and further offences $500 liable to a fine of not more than $10,000.00 or to imprisonment for not more than six months, |
| Bylaw | District of Sechelt Open Air Burning Bylaw No. 486, 2012Open Air Burning Bylaw No. 486, 2012 (consolidated April 2026), s. 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingThis Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as "District of Sechelt Open Air Burning Bylaw No. |
How it works
The Open Air Burning Bylaw 486 allows campfires that:
- burn clean, dry wood only
- are no more than 1 m wide and 1 m high
- are in a fire pit or approved incinerator, clear of overhanging foliage
- have access to a water hose
- are tended by someone 18 or older
- do not create a smoke or spark nuisance for neighbours
No permit is mentioned for campfires. The land-clearing burn allowance ended January 1, 2014.
Good to know
- Burning garden refuse (grass, leaves, pruning), garbage, construction waste, demolition waste and toxic materials is prohibited.
- Open air burning may not be started within 10 m of a building, fence, hedge, stream or power line, within 30 m of a public road, or within 500 m of a school in session or a hospital.
- The bylaw does not describe fire bans. BC Wildfire Service fire orders usually do not apply inside municipal boundaries, and municipalities set their own, so check the current status with the District (Municipal Hall, 604-885-1986) as well as the Province's page. The bylaw also bars campfires that contravene federal, provincial or Fire Department rules.
- Instead of burning yard waste, put it out weekly in paper yard waste bags (up to three bags a week), or take extra bags to Salish Soils, 5646 Schetxwen Rd, where yard waste can be dumped at no cost.
- Fines are in the cost field above. No early or late amounts are set.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Gibsons · Bowen Island · Lantzville · Nanaimo · Lions Bay · West Vancouver
Backyard fire and burning rules in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Open Air Burning Bylaw No. 486, 2012 (consolidated April 2026) (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
- Fire bans and restrictions, Province of British Columbia (read 2026-11-06)
- Garbage and Recycling, District of Sechelt (read 2026-11-06)
- Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026) (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
- Yard Waste Guide 2023, District of Sechelt (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. How answers are checked.